Green Paper on
Food, Nutrition,
Agriculture and
Rural Areas
Good food, strong agriculture, vibrant
regions
Contents
Preface
5
A healthy diet for a healthy life
6
Safe products for our daily lives
10
Appreciating our food
14
Agriculture: productive, efficient, worthwhile
and an integral part of our lives
Agriculture: more than meets the eye 22
Agriculture, horticulture and viticulture
for environmental conservation and
climate stewardship
26
More animal welfare for futureorientated livestock husbandry
30
Sustainable forestry for added value,
diversity and protection
34
Fisheries – using natural resources
responsibly
38
Making our rural areas attractive
and fit for the future
42
Shouldering international responsibility –
improving global food security 46
Prospects for 2030 50
References
51
18
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
"If all parties are prepared
to put aside their
preconceived ideas and
engage in a solutionbased dialogue, then
success will come."
PREFACE
Dear Readers,
Healthy food and nutrition is a very immediate and
personal part of our lives, and it is our agricultural
sector that lays the foundation for this. Our
agricultural, horticultural, viticultural and forestry
sectors are also instrumental in shaping our homeland
and landscapes. Food, agriculture and homeland: since
time immemorial, these three aspects have been
inextricably linked. However, our post-industrial,
globalised societies, which rely heavily on the division
of labour, have caused many people to lose sight of this
natural connection. Until well into the 20th century,
the crucial question was whether enough food could be
produced for everyone; in contrast, contemporary
social and political debate sometimes even questions
whether we need a productive agricultural sector at all.
This attitude often goes hand in hand with a
pronounced criticism of globalisation. There are often
fundamental objections to our aim of using our
agrarian production in Europe to help feed the world.
Some groups even put forward the idea that agriculture
should focus only on protecting nature and conserving
biodiversity.
This view is one-sided and idealistic, dispensing with
the connection between life, economic activity and
conservation which is integral to the concept of
sustainability. Although such views are not by any
means representative of the majority’s view of the
farming sector today, they do cause great uncertainty
among people working in the farming, forestry and
food sectors.
In an open society, and in light of the current
challenges we face from a growing world population,
climate change and changing values, it is natural and
necessary to discuss and question how things have
been done in the past. Society and policy-makers do,
however, bear a particular responsibility in these times
of great change. We must protect our identity. If
necessary, we will redefine our goals in living together
in our society and identify viable routes to take on the
road ahead. Many people think about how we produce
our food. We discuss the ways and means of how we
eat, how we treat our animals, how we manage water,
air and soil, and how our homeland is changing.
At my initiative, representatives from agriculture, civil
society, the church, industry, academia, research and
politics have joined together with the objective of
talking with each other rather than about each other.
We have listened to one other. The discussions were
sometimes very heated, involving as they did some
diametrically opposed standpoints. We have jointly
identified challenges which we must face. We have
developed ideas from which we now intend to derive
viable solutions. My political work is guided by the
concepts of personal accountability, self-determination
and voluntary commitment rather than patronage by
the state and statutory regulation. I called this dialogue
the Green Paper Process and it has now resulted in this
Green Paper.
If all parties, as they did in the Green Paper Process, put
aside their preconceived ideas and engage in a solutionbased dialogue then success will come.
The Green Paper uses this dialogue as a basis for
developing perspectives and identifying ways forward
which I intend to follow. The Green Paper is
consequently a starting point and a signpost towards
goals and measures for the future. I would like to invite
you to continue the debate on what goals to set and
what measures to take in order to achieve these goals.
I aim to enable people to have safe and healthy food, to
increase people's appreciation of their food, to create
the framework for a well-positioned agricultural sector,
to improve animal welfare, to ensure sustainability and
to establish rural areas as workshops of the future.
Christian Schmidt,
Member of the German
Bundestag Federal Minister of
Food and Agriculture
4–––––5
A healthy diet for a
healthy life
A HEALTHY DIET FOR A HEALTHY LIFE
Approximately
15%
of children in
Germany are overweight.
Only
26%
of Germans
manage to always
follow a wellbalanced diet.
80%
92%
of people in Germany
think that the key to a healthy
diet is nutritional education in
pre-schools and schools.
Germany has one of the highest
average life expectancies in the
world. In the past 50 years, it
has risen by
12 years
.
of consumers
are happy with the quality
of food provided by the
German food and
agricultural sectors.
6–––––7
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Food is more than just existentially
important: food is a cultural asset, a
religious symbol and a political
statement; it is medicine, a status
symbol and a lifestyle accessory - we
could go on. Our dietary habits reveal
different, and in some cases contrary,
developments: there is a trend towards
regional, artisanal food with a distinct
profile and towards sustainably
produced goods, in particular from
organic farming. An increasing number
of consumers follow vegetarian or
vegan diets.
Food is a lifestyle issue, and indeed often an issue of
identity, for an increasing section of the population. At
the same time, basic knowledge about food, cooking and
home economics, handed down as a matter of course
from generation to generation, is being lost. What is
more, intense competition means that food in Germany
is very reasonably priced. The population in Germany
spends 10 percent of their disposable income on food;
by international standards, this is comparatively low.
Current research shows that the first 1000 days in a
child's life are particularly influential in terms of its
development and its health, even later as an adult. It is
consequently a matter of grave concern that a growing
number of people are severely overweight, even at a
young age - this is often combined with a lack of
exercise - and as a result are at an increased risk of a
number of diseases.
Our aim must be to make people more aware that a
health-promoting lifestyle is an advantage for each and
every individual and consequently also for society as a
whole. This includes drawing attention to the dangers of
a one-sided diet featuring excessive consumption of
health-influencing components such as salt, sugar and
fat. The producers of processed foods bear a particular
responsibility in this regard to provide clear and
transparent information. People must have access to
more and better information so that they know what
they are consuming.
Perspective
The aim of our food and nutrition policy is to promote a
health-conserving diet and lifestyle. We intend to
significantly reduce food-related illness. The
fundamental aim is not to point fingers at people or talk
down to them and impose bans or supposedly simple
rule systems. The aim is instead to address the challenge
by starting with people's daily environments and
bringing about change. We do not intend to dictate to
people what food they should eat; instead, we aim to
facilitate sound nutritional education. A balanced diet
and adequate exercise must become a matter of course.
The aim is not to stigmatise anyone.
Instead, we aim to encourage everyone to adopt
healthier lifestyles. We intend to provide better
information, education and motivation to support
people in finding their way to a healthier lifestyle within the family environment, in pre-schools, schools
and senior-citizen institutions. We must provide
specific options in people's environments and create
structures to make it easier for them to adopt healthpromoting behaviour.
We can only facilitate lasting improvements in dietary
habits by providing transparency and information;
rules must be restricted to the essentials.
One important aspect is to ensure compliance with
consumer health protection requirements and to
prevent fraud and misinformation.
A HEALTHY DIET FOR A HEALTHY LIFE
Our tasks
→ A modern, future-orientated nutritional policy
promotes a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle by
providing comprehensive information and creating
the prerequisites for a good diet.
→ We must rethink nutritional education in Germany.
Food and nutrition have an increasingly global
dimension: food logistics are highly differentiated
and the manufacturing, preparation and
consumption of food have been largely decoupled
from each other. However, people need knowledge
in order to make decisions on nutrition; individual
knowledge about nutrition must therefore be
expanded and deepened. Nutritional education potentially with nutrition as a subject on the school
curriculum - should therefore be firmly established
in the German educational system. The aim is to
ensure that the entire population regains nutritional
expertise.
→ By creating the new "Federal Centre for Food and
Nutrition“, we are laying the foundation for
improved nutritional education. We are pooling
existing skills in the fields of food and nutrition and
strengthening the Federal Government's
communication of nutritional issues to specific
target groups. The new concept of consumer
involvement is improving the discussion and
effectiveness of nutritional information. The aim is
for the Federal Centre to support and network the
commitment of civil society groups, such as the
German Rural Women's Association.
→ We aim to set up an "Institute for Child Nutrition" at
the Max Rubner Federal Research Institute of
Nutrition and Food. We will thus meet the need for
additional research in the field of child nutrition.
We intend to explore why there are undesirable
developments in dietary habits in order to enable
recommendations to be given on counteracting this
development at an early stage.
→ By launching the new "National Quality Centre for
Food in Pre-schools and Schools" we intend to
further develop quality-promoting standards in preschool and school catering. A school-food checklist
will be developed to act as proof of quality for
caterers and suppliers of pre-school and school food.
→ We aim to have pre-school and school food
completely exempted from value added tax, which
will support our efforts to ensure high-quality,
affordable food for our children.
→ We will ensure that the German Nutrition
Society's quality standards are implemented by
raising awareness, providing information and
involving the relevant actors.
→ We intend to cooperate with the food sector and
academia and take specific steps, in particular to
reduce the levels of salt, saturated fats and sugar in
the food.
→ We aim to reach agreement with our economic
partners on voluntary, verifiable rules regarding
advertising for and with children of under twelve
years of age to ensure that no misleading advertising
statements provide this sensitive target group with
false purchasing incentives. The intention is to only
resort to regulatory intervention if producers, trade
and consumers are unable to agree on adequate
structures and solutions. The German Bundestag's
Commission for Childrens' Concerns should be
included in this regard. The Nutrition Report will in
future focus particularly on taking account of
children's interests in respect of the world of food
consumption.
→ We intend consumers to be provided with even
clearer and more precise support in making their
daily decisions about what food to buy (e.g.
vegetarian/vegan, halal/kosher, "functional food").
We will therefore flesh out the corresponding
provisions on food information in greater detail.
→ We will support the use of digital technologies for
creating new ways of providing reliable food
labelling. Digitisation opens up new possibilities in
the food sector and for consumers, for example in
respect of traceability, detailed group-related
information, labelling, and displaying the freshness
of food on the "Internet of Things".
→ We are investing in measures to raise awareness of
the risks associated with the consumption of
alcohol, nicotine and health-influencing food and
food components such as caffeine, food
supplements and enriched food.
→ We regard the promotion of a balanced and
adequate diet worldwide as an important topic, as
our responsibility goes beyond our national borders.
We intend to strengthen work on nutritional issues
in the United Nations, including in the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the
World Health Organisation.
8–––––9
Safe products for
our daily lives
SAFE PRODUCTS FOR OUR DAILY LIVES
1.9% 97%
of food inspected in
Germany in 2014
had higher-thanpermitted levels of
pesticide residues.
73%
of consumers in
Germany think that
the food on offer is
safe.
76%
of consumers
regard the safety of food as
important or very important.
This makes
food and food safety the
number one consumer
protection subject in Germany.
83% 60%
of consumers
have little or no
trust in the
statements and
pictures on
existing packaging.
of consumers
use labels to
obtain
information
about food.
of consumers
consider that they are
well-provided with
information about
food.
10–––––11
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
In Germany, there is a huge range of
food available in practically any
quantity and quality. There is also a
growth in new marketing methods,
such as online sales, in the food trade.
These methods are increasing the
availability of food, but at the same
time making it more difficult to trace
the food back to its origin.
Today, the manufacture and sale of food relies heavily
on the division of labour, and is distinguished by
enormous processing speed. Processed food
increasingly consists of ingredients that are bought
from across the world. Food deception and fraud is a
growing problem in modern food chains based on the
division of labour. The State, together with the suppliers
and manufacturers of food, must ensure their work
instils trust in consumers.
Industry has set up its own system of standards and
comprehensive control systems. However, there is still
a growing need for additional, simple, reliable and
comprehensive information on food properties.
Perspective
The aim is for public and private agencies responsible
for food safety to be better networked - regionally,
nationally, across the EU and worldwide. They must be
able to quickly and effectively adjust to the constantly
changing global commodity flows and sales strategies.
It remains the goal to have truthful, adequate product
labelling that is readily comprehensible to everyone.
Our tasks
→ Ensuring the safety of food requires stringent controls
based on the state of the art. The Laender control
programmes must be better coordinated across the
country, and the existing public and private
monitoring and control systems must be improved
further. Public and private control activities must be
better coordinated at federal level.
→ At European level, a system has been set up to fight
misrepresentation, deception and fraud in the field
of food. We intend to develop this system further by
establishing a national reference centre on food
authenticity and refining the corresponding
analytical methods.
→ We are supporting the work of the newly
established German Food Register Commission.
The newly formulated guidelines on food and
their properties are based on the principle of
clarity and truthfulness for consumers.
→ One objective is also to protect consumers from the
greatest avoidable health risk: smoking. We aim to
strengthen preventive measures and impose a
general ban on advertising tobacco products.
→ Voluntary certification systems and symbols help to
make product properties recognisable. These are
important elements of a modern food labelling
system. We intend to push for voluntary, reliable
product information, for example via qualityassured additional information in barcodes.
→ We will optimise the existing legal framework
relating to clear and comprehensible consumer
information, both in respect of the labelling and
presentation of food and in respect of advertising.
The aim is to make quality more evident, and to
better protect consumers against deception.
SAFE PRODUCTS FOR OUR DAILY LIVES
12–––––13
Appreciating our
food
APPRECIATION OF OUR FOOD
In Germany,
6.7 million
tonnes
of food are thrown away every year.
69%
27%
of people throw
food away at least once a
month.
of the discarded
food is fruit and
vegetables.
14–––––15
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Our attitudes towards food differ
greatly. Many people are very aware of
the price when choosing what food to
eat, often without taking healthrelated aspects into consideration.
Other people regard food as an
important part of their lifestyle or as
part of who they are or where they
come from. At the same time, fewer
and fewer people are aware of the facts
surrounding the manufacture and
preparation of their food.
On the one hand there is great appreciation of artisanal
food, there are trends for making one's own food and
there are direct links between food producers and
consumers via innovative marketing channels. On the
other hand, the percentage of highly-processed,
industrially produced food and the consumption of
fast food are increasing. Eating a meal together at
home is often no longer part of everyday family life.
Food is also very reasonably priced in Germany. This
goes hand in hand with a loss of appreciation for the
products produced and the work of farmers. Eleven
million tonnes of food, an enormous amount, is thrown
away in Germany each year by industry, trade, largescale consumers and private households; of this, 6.7
million tonnes is thrown away by private households.
We must also encourage the actors along the food
chain to value each other's work, as this will mean that
we create more added value, more competitiveness
and more fairness along the entire chain.
Perspective
We aim to significantly increase the appreciation of food
in order to meet the goal of halving food waste by 2030.
This will enable us to protect valuable resources. The
aim must be for Germany to eat better and more
healthily. The aim must be for Germany to be held in
esteem worldwide as a "country with taste".
This harbours economic opportunities for all partners
along the value chain, from producers and processors
to artisans and trade.
Our tasks
→ We intend to enhance our efforts to highlight the value
of food. We, together with our many different partners,
are providing people, in particular children and young
adults, with information on the production, processing
and quality of food.
→ Only if people are well-informed will they be able to
appreciate food properly: we intend to provide the
population with better information on modern
farming. The restructuring of the Federal Office for
Agriculture and Food will establish a new priority
programme that will inform consumers on
agricultural matters and challenges. The aim is for
everyone to be able to form an objective opinion
about modern farming.
→ Species diversity in respect of crops and farm
animals is not just a biodiversity goal; it is also
very important for the regionality of food and the
range of tastes on offer. Breeding and seed
diversity must take this into account, in particular
with regard to old varieties.
→ Behind “Made in Germany", a globally renowned
hallmark of quality, there are many different actors at
regional level. The reference to the region responsible
for the quality can help generate more added value and
greater appreciation of food production. We therefore
aiming to expand regional labelling. This means that we
will provide:
producers in rural regions with an additional
marketing instrument, allowing consumers to
recognise regional factors and value chains and
better reward them. We will support companies, in
particular small and medium-sized enterprises, with
an export support programme.
APPRECIATION OF OUR FOOD
→ We will draw up a programme of measures to help
prepare the wide range of artisanal traditions for
the future - including making these artisanal trades
more attractive as a potential career. This will help
make Germany a renowned culinary location and
hence a "country with taste".
→ Based on the "Too good for the bin“ initiative, we are
drawing up a broad strategy to combat food waste.
We are doing this via a dialogue and in cooperation
with all relevant actors, from the farms to the final
customers.
→ We aim to avoid unnecessary food waste and
therefore intend to add an "eat-before date" to the
best-before date as an indicator of the quality and
safety of food. Possible liability claims will then be
based on this eat-before date. We will intensify
research into this rule system.
16–––––17
Agriculture:
productive,
efficient,
worthwhile and
an integral part
of our lives
AGRICULTURE: PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT, INTEGRAL TO OUR LIVES AND
WORTHWHILE
Over
80%
of the territory of Germany
is used for farming and
forestry to supply us with
food and raw materials.
96%
of Germans think it is
important to continue to
have livestock farms in
Germany.
9 out of
10
agricultural
holdings in Germany are
family-run enterprises.
285,000
holdings farm
16.7 million hectares of
agricultural land – this
corresponds to 47% of the
territory of Germany.
In Germany, each farmer today
produces enough food for
150 people.
18–––––19
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Our farming sector is facing farreaching changes: technology is
replacing manual labour, the demands
being made of the sector are changing
and the public debate is confronting
them with fundamental questions
relating to animal welfare,
environmental inputs, healthy food, the
conservation of biodiversity and the
conservation of natural resources.
Farmers' work is subject to increasingly
critical, and often not necessarily fair,
scrutiny. The sector and agricultural
policy-makers must engage in this
debate and identify potential solutions.
Livestock holdings that invested in
specialisation and production growth
are facing a particularly difficult
economic situation. Critical voices are
being raised if a farm's only
optimisation strategy is to increase
yields. Ethical issues are playing an
increasing role and must be taken into
consideration.
Farmers must of course continue to develop their
holdings. There will not be any single path that is the
right way forward for everybody. Between the extremes
of holdings growing and holdings going out of business,
there is a lot of scope for farmers to determine their own
course of action. What they need is the willingness and
ability to adapt - to technical progress, to the global
markets for agricultural products, to price fluctuations
and to the population becoming increasingly sensitive
to farming practices.
Another aspect is that investors from outside the sector
now view the purchase of agricultural enterprises or
land as an option for capital investment. This is
resulting in increased competition for a finite amount
of land. Added value is therefore draining out of what
are already economically weak rural regions, and large
holdings are increasingly being managed by people who
are not from the farming sector.
We need solutions to meet the social expectations that
the production of food and agricultural goods should be
sustainable, responsible and ethical. Primary
agricultural production must take place in and with the
region.
The Common Agricultural Policy must remain an
integral part of the European project in order to be able
to deal with the current challenges. To this end, the
Common Agricultural Policy must continue to receive
adequate funds. It will in future have to be able to react
better to global, European and national challenges. The
main aspects in this regard are food security, climate
change and, in respect of the demographic change in
Europe, the protection of territorial cohesion and of
future prospects for rural areas as places for young
people and families to live and work in.
Perspective
The aim is for the German food and agricultural sectors
to continue to develop their efficiency and
competitiveness. They should be able to provide
answers to the changes in the social and economic
environment. The intention is for farmers, particularly
young farmers, to have a positive self-perception. Our
agricultural enterprises should be firmly established in
their regions and our farmers should an adequate
income which meets society's demands in respect of
farming. The aim is for the farming sector to use its
inputs sustainably by taking the needs of farm animals
into account in husbandry conditions, by managing
water and soil carefully, by engaging in climate
stewardship and by only interfering with the natural
environment when necessary. Protected property is the
foundation of sustainable, consensual economic
activity.
AGRICULTURE: PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT, INTEGRAL TO OUR LIVES AND
WORTHWHILE
Our tasks
→ The European Common Agricultural Policy must
provide a reliable framework for flanking global,
European, national and social challenges and must
support agriculture and people in rural areas by
shaping change.
It must be equipped with adequate financial
resources, while red tape must be reduced. Its
resilience to crisis situations must be significantly
improved. It must be based on the principles of
balanced agricultural structures and must take a
holistic view of its role in rural areas.
→ The principle of political reliability dictates that
farmers' legitimate expectations regarding common
agricultural measures and agricultural social security
should be protected. We therefore fundamentally
support retaining the existing "two-pillar structure"
after 2020 to continue providing direct payments.
However, we must work on making the first pillar
more specific.
→ We must continue to develop the agricultural policy
instruments to improve the European agricultural
policy's role in securing income. The direct
payments must therefore provide greater support to
family livestock farms that are under particular
pressure due to price volatility and the demands of
society. We aim in this way to support area-based
livestock farming and regional added value.
→ Direct payments should primarily benefit family
farms, not investors from outside the farming
sector. We will therefore take action to expand the
support options for young farmers.
→ In cooperation with the Laender, which bear the
prime responsibility for this area, the land-law
framework must developed further in order to
protect agricultural enterprises.
→ This includes preferential consideration of practising
farmers in matters of land transfer. We wish to
counteract the loss of family farms that are wellestablished in their regions. To strengthen rural areas
and keep family farms, the competent Laender
should restructure the legal framework to prevent
independent agricultural enterprises from being
converted into branch enterprises and taken over by
supra-regional investors.
→ We aim to have practice-orientated laws and
ordinances that keep red tape to a minimum. To this
end we intend to set up a practitioners' advisory
board in order to strengthen the involvement of
practitioners from farming, horticulture, forestry
and fisheries. The practitioners will feed their
experience into the legislation and provide
suggestions for better and more practically
orientated legislation.
→ We will also develop an initiative to simplify
support structures. In respect of penalties, we need
the principle of proportionality to be based on a
fundamentally different view of what our rule
systems at European, national and regional level
are intended to achieve. Priorities must be set that
support the EU Commission's "better regulation"
project and the Federal Government's judicial
review of constitutionality.
→ There must be no return to the era of price
support and quantity control. In the interests of
competition and equal opportunities in the
European Union, payments that are still coupled
at national level should be scaled back
with the aim of gradually phasing them out
completely.
→ We will provide long-term protection for the
independent agricultural social security system for
agriculture, forestry, horticulture and fisheries, as
this system best meets the specific requirements of
these professions. We are consequently continuing
to effectively flank the structural development in
agriculture by providing a responsible social policy
tailored to the respective needs.
20–––––21
Agriculture:
more than
meets the eye
AGRICULTURE: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Overall, the food supply chain
employs around
4.5 million
workers. They generate a gross
added-value of around 160 billion Euros.
2/3
50%
of farmers
view the digitisation of
the sector as an
opportunity.
of farmers
use digital solutions on
their fields or in their
stalls.
Every ninth job
in Germany is directly or indirectly connected to the
food and agricultural sector.
22–––––23
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Our tasks
Our agricultural sector's priority task
remains the production of adequate
quantities of high-quality and
affordable food and feed. A further
task is the production of renewable
resources and energy.
→ We will facilitate a fair reconciliation of interests
between the demands society makes of the
agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors on the one
hand and the needs of these sectors on the other. Our
farmers rightly expect adequate remuneration for
their products and their services to society.
Agriculture is more than just a job; it is an outlook on
life. The positive emotionality of agriculture must be
combined with consideration of social, ecological and
economic realities.
However, this is by no means all: together with our
sustainable and multifunctional forestry , fisheries,
pond-farming, viticultural and horticultural sectors,
they are instrumental in shaping our precious cultivated
landscapes, landscapes that form an integral part of our
identity. Germany has some uniquely beautiful
landscapes, with hillside vineyards, cattle pastures and
orchard meadows. On the other hand, some landscapes
are dominated by large-scale monoculture crops.
It has become more difficult to achieve a balance
between competitiveness through efficient
agricultural structures on the one hand and smallscale diversity on the other. This can be seen in the
public debate about our farming sector.
Digitisation can help in this regard via a range of
diverse applications. "Smart farming" and "precision
farming" are already a fundamental part of everyday
life for many farmers.
Perspective
The goal is for our agricultural sector to make use of its
opportunities. Our farmers should be able to produce
successfully for both local markets and global markets.
The intention is for modern technology to be used to
protect sustainable agriculture and our cultivated
landscapes. The sector should be able to meet ambitious
goals in respect of environmental conservation, nature
protection and animal welfare. The intention is for the
practicality of regulations to be subject to constant
review via the close involvement of practitioners in the
legislative process.
→ This requires incentives and balances with
corresponding funding. The current Common
Agricultural Policy and national policies already
have corresponding instruments at their disposal;
these must be adapted and expanded.
→ Our farms must contribute towards food security
for the global market and at the same time meet
the domestic demand for organic products and
products with special properties (e.g. hay milk,
meadow-grazed milk).
→ We are supporting innovation and consequently
supporting agriculture on its way forward, with the
aim being to reconcile societal demands with
competitiveness.
→ We intend to flank digital change with a strong
support programme. Thanks to innovative
technologies, production in agriculture and animal
husbandry is becoming more efficient and
conserving resources. We intend to work together
with experts from academia and industry to expand
a communication platform on the subject of data
security, data sovereignty and "Big Data" in
agriculture and farming.
AGRICULTURE: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
24–––––25
Agriculture,
horticulture and
viticulture for
environmental
conservation
and climate stewardship
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND VITICULTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE STEWARDSHIP
Between
46,500
agricultural
holdings
produce renewable energy resources.
Approximately
1/3
of agricultural land in Germany is farmed in
accordance with
the particularly stringent requirements of
agri-environmental programmes.
On around
1 million hectares
1990
2013
and
greenhouse
gas emissions in the
agricultural and landuse sectors declined
by around 20 percent.
In 2014,
biomass, at
68%,
provided the largest
contribution towards
energy from
renewable energy
resources.
farmers work in compliance with the
organic farming regulations.
26–––––27
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
More than any other sector,
agriculture interacts directly with the
environment and natural areas. It
shapes our cultivated landscapes with both positive and negative
results. Nutrient surpluses, emissions
and the decline of species diversity in
intensively used agricultural
landscapes show that not all farmers
work sustainably.
Productive agriculture, horticulture and viticulture are
not possible without having an impact on the
environment. It is for this very reason that climate
stewardship, the conservation of biodiversity, the
conservation of natural ecosystems and the protection
of soil, water and air are so important. The priority tasks
include reducing agricultural nitrogen surplus and the
quantity of plant protection products used and
achieving the goals on improving biodiversity. We must
ensure that uncontaminated drinking water continues
to be available and nutrient-poor ecosystems must be
conserved in order inter alia to help biodiversity. Just as
for climate change mitigation, we need innovative
solutions in this area as well, solutions that have not yet
been found.
Agriculture, horticulture and viticulture are directly
affected by the negative effects of climate change as
these sectors work in and with nature and notice
changes very quickly. At the same time they are the
only economic sectors that are able to make a
significant contribution to climate change mitigation
via their production methods.
Perspective
In future, one distinguishing feature of agriculture,
horticulture and viticulture in Germany must be their
ability to better combine sustainability with high
productivity. Progress in crop breeding will help in
this regard. The development of new varieties with
higher yields and at the same time greater resilience
to disease, pests, heat and water depletion is an
important element in sustainable and productive
agriculture. The goal is for the land available for the
production of food and raw materials to be used
efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner.
We aim to minimise the loss of agricultural land.
Our tasks
→ We must support agriculture, horticulture and
viticulture in achieving ambitious sustainability
goals. We will prioritise incentives through targetoriented programmes over regulatory measures in
this regard.
→ We aim to work in partnership with actors from the
agricultural and environmental sectors to draw up
viable solutions for climate change mitigation,
environmental protection and nature conservation.
We intend to safeguard Germany's position as an
agricultural location with its favourable
environment by increasing eco-efficiency. We will
strengthen corresponding research-anddevelopment measures.
→ We will support the actors in achieving the
binding goals agreed upon under the "Paris Climate
Agreement" and work together to implement the
Federal Government's climate change mitigation
plan.
→ A sustainable bioeconomy provides an important
contribution to climate change mitigation, nature
protection and the conservation of resources. We
aim to promote the development of a bio-based
economy and press ahead with the social dialogue to
reap the benefits of this approach. Promoting the
development of a bio-based economy includes
enshrining bio-based products to an even greater
extent in economic and everyday life.
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND VITICULTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE STEWARDSHIP
→ We aim to increase our efforts to protect water
bodies and areas of unspoiled nature. This
includes minimising the inputs of plant
protection agents and improving rules on
national nutrient management, in particular for
semi-liquid manure. By continuing to develop
the legal rules for fertilisation, we will
significantly increase water quality.
→ We aim to strengthen the innovative strength of
German breeding enterprises, the majority of which
are small and medium-sized companies. We require
crops that are high-yielding and resilient to diseases,
pests, heat and water depletion. This is an important
element for a sustainably productive agricultural
system that addresses the issues of environmental
and climate change.
→ We aim to extend our cutting edge in technology
and our innovative strength by launching a
research-and-development programme entitled
"Sustainable Agriculture 2030“.
→ In respect of viticulture policy, we will continue to
increase the appreciation of German wine and
continue to improve its competitiveness. We will
focus in particular on farming methods that play a
crucial role in our cultivated landscape, in particular
wine-growing on steep hillsides.
→ New breeding technologies in agriculture, such as
CRISPR/Cas technologies, will be comprehensively
assessed in research studies. This will provide us
with a sound basis for assessing them. We must not
cut ourselves off from all new developments. This
will be flanked by an open and transparent dialogue
process with all interested parties.
→ Our "Organic Farming - Looking Forwards"
strategy will help strengthen organic farming in
Germany. The aim is to increase the percentage
of organically farmed land to 20 percent in the
medium term. Improving the range of regional
organic goods is one particular way of providing
business development opportunities for the
future, in particular for small and medium-sized
agricultural enterprises. European rules must do
justice to the holistic approach of organic
farming.
28–––––29
More animal
welfare for futureorientated
livestock
husbandry
MORE ANIMAL WELFARE FOR FUTURE-ORIENTATED LIVESTOCK
HUSBANDRY
90%
of consumers
expect the agricultural
sector to pay
particular attention to
animal protection.
82%
of consumers
wish packaging to
contain information on
husbandry conditions.
Willingness to pay for animal
welfare: approximately
70%
of the population
is prepared to pay a
moderate mark-up
for improved
livestock husbandry.
Every
2nd
Euro
in German
agriculture is generated by the
livestock industry
30–––––31
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Livestock husbandry is the economic
foundation of German agriculture. 70
percent of agricultural enterprises keep
animals and earn income from them.
The societal expectations of animal husbandry are
constantly changing and the distance between
consumers and agriculture has grown.
The sector must face these challenges. It must actively
shape the critical discourse - also in respect of
shortcomings concerning animal welfare, fertiliser load
and climatic influences which need to be eliminated.
We need guidelines and a framework to lay down the
long-term direction of livestock husbandry in
Germany. We must succeed in establishing modern
livestock husbandry at the centre of society.
Initiatives and innovative strength from within the
sector itself will be decisive in giving shape to this aim,
for it is the joint development of solutions, in
interaction between society, industry and politics, that
will provide the most likely way of creating a positive
perspective for the sector. This also includes having
suitable instruments to finance greater animal welfare.
To this end we expect processors, trade and consumers
to all be willing to provide farmers with the economic
scope to raise animal-welfare standards. Public funding
must also focus on this goal.
Perspective
The aim is for Germany to become a trailblazer for
animal welfare. The treatment of livestock should be
geared to animal welfare and livestock husbandry
should be economically viable. The aim is for policy
makers to create the environment for this.
Our tasks
→ We are developing a national livestock strategy and
using it to support the agricultural livestock sector
in shaping adaptation processes. We will draw up
and establish animal-protection and animal-welfare
goals in a consensus-based dialogue. The effects and
successes will be evaluated and used as a yardstick in
the further process. We will use suitable instruments
to bring animal husbandry and the land closer
together once more.
→ We intend to continue the "Minding Animals"
initiative and make substantial progress towards
more animal welfare in a dialogue between
academia, agriculture, trade and consumers.
→ A State animal-welfare label will lead to greater
animal welfare. The Agriculture Ministry therefore
intends - in dialogue with animal protection and
branch organisations – to develop an animalwelfare label that will positively identify the type of
husbandry used. The aim is to create a multi-level
animal-welfare label. Consumers will be able to use
the label as a readily comprehensible and simple aid
to help them decide what to buy.
→ The culling of day-old chicks has rightly become a
symbol of our society's irreverent handling of
animals. It is not ethically acceptable and must be
stopped. We aim to prevent production from being
moved abroad and to create adequate solutions in
Germany. We are relying on the rapid development
of a technical solution.
→ Non-curative interventions carried out on livestock
are being minimised step-by-step. To this end the
existing voluntary agreements with industry are
being expanded and necessary legislative measures
taken.
→ We aim to continue to reduce the use of medicinal
products, in particular antibiotics, in livestock
husbandry. This includes having a restrictive use of
antibiotics, as these are of particular importance to
mankind. At the same time, animal protection
considerations dictate that sick animals must be
able to be treated with active substances when
necessary. The national livestock strategy also
includes reducing unnecessary red tape in respect
of the requirement to keep records and documents.
Priority is to be given to simpler, digital methods.
MORE ANIMAL WELFARE FOR FUTURE-ORIENTATED LIVESTOCK
HUSBANDRY
→ We aim to support the continued development of
animal-breeding goals and their establishment in
practice. There is no future for breeding practices
that focus only on high performance and do not pay
due regard to general animal health, productive life
and robustness.
→ The introduction of testing and approval procedures
for mass-produced stall equipment is intended to
reinforce animal protection. This will provide
farmers with long-term security when purchasing
stall equipment.
→ Animal-welfare research is being improved in
research and development projects - this will also
strengthen the model and demonstration project on
animal protection. This will support the transfer of
knowledge from theory to practice. The focus here
is on implementing new knowledge and innovative
measures relating to animal health and welfare,
welfare-oriented husbandry and the resolution of
conflicting aims.
→ The sector has considerable expertise, which is a
necessary prerequisite for responsible, welfareoriented and successful livestock husbandry.
Expertise is acquired and kept up-to-date via
vocational training and further training and
instruction. We will create the corresponding
conditions for this.
→ A national animal-welfare commissioner will serve
in future to mediate between the different groups of
actors in respect of this subject. The commissioner
will coordinate and guide the work of a skills
network on animal welfare at federal level. This
body will network and pool activities on livestock
husbandry carried out in Germany by politics,
industry, academia and civil-society groups, and give
recommendations on the framework required.
→ We also intend to work together with our
European partners to establish a "platform on
animal protection” at European level. We aim to
take action to ensure that high standards in
livestock husbandry are implemented and
complied with throughout Europe.
32–––––33
Sustainable
forestry creates
added value,
diversity and
protection
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY CREATES ADDED VALUE, DIVERSITY AND PROTECTION
6,500
Forests
and
wood
products
relieve
the
annual burden on the
atmosphere by
127 million
tonnes of
CO2
insect species are
indigenous to our forests.
47%
of our forests are
landscape conservation areas.
1/3 of the territory of
Germany
consists of forests.
The idea of
sustainable forestry
was invented
300
years
ago
in Germany.
Forests and timber in
Germany currently
constitute a
greenhouse-gas sink
that reduces overall
emissions in Germany by
approximately
14%
annually.
34–––––35
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Sustainably managed forests provide
us with timber, are part of our culture
and homeland, and perform
indispensable services for each and
every one of us. Our forests are, not
least, vital for achieving Germany's
climate and environmental goals.
To put it more precisely, our forests
themselves, the management of the
forests, and the use of timber both as
raw material and as fuel reduce the
burden on the atmosphere by an
amount corresponding to 14 percent
of Germany's national CO2
emissions.
In addition to enabling us to use valuable resources, our
forests provide animals and plants with the protection
and habitat they need in a highly-industrialised
country; our forests contribute tangibly to the
conservation of biodiversity. Our forests also provide
the population both with an important outdoor
recreational area and with income and jobs, particularly
in rural areas. This synergy makes the forest ecosystem
unique in connecting mankind, nature, the
environment and the most efficient pillar of climate
change mitigation.
Forests will only be able to continue in the long term to
fulfil their many different functions if they are
sustainably managed i.e. used. To this end, the actors
must have the conditions they need to facilitate
protection through use. This applies to both publicly
and privately managed forests. The aim must therefore
be to ensure fair competition. The State must be an
exemplary role model when acting as a market
operator.
Perspective
The goal is to expand the area covered by German
forests. The potential of domestic forests to improve
climate change mitigation should be exploited to the
best-possible extent. Forests should be adapted
to climate change through suitable adaptation measures.
The aim is to follow the principle of "protection through
use" and make German forests a prime example of
economic efficiency, ecological responsibility and social
justice in line with the original intention of Hans Carl
von Carlowitz, the founder of sustainability. The services
of the forestry and wood sectors should be taken into
account adequately and appropriately in public and
private action plans on climate stewardship and
environmental protection. A further goal is for the
support of research, development and consumer
information to further increase public awareness of the
many and diverse services provided by German forests.
Our tasks
→ The Forest Strategy 2020 is being further developed
and fleshed out in greater detail by the revised
Charter for Wood Promotion. Site-specific, vibrant
forests adapted to climate change consisting mainly
of domestic tree species, and the conservation of
productivity through use and sustainable
management enable all forest functions to be
safeguarded.
→ We intend to safeguard and expand the role
played by the forestry sector in climate
stewardship by adapting forests to climate
change.
→ At international level, the protection, sustainable
management and restoration of forests and
woodland are essential in order to counteract global
deforestation and forest degradation and safeguard
forest biodiversity.
→ We are taking steps to continually improve forest
biodiversity. To this end we intend to focus research
on the interaction between forest management and
biodiversity.
→ We aim to create a joint platform devoted to
"Forests – Sport, Leisure, Health“ with the
relevant active partners in this area.
→ We are taking action to promote strict, efficient
hunting as this ensures the conservation of the
forest ecosystem and promotes natural forest
regeneration.
→ We are improving communication on the
important roles played by forests and the use of
timber for climate change mitigation in its entirety.
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY CREATES ADDED VALUE, DIVERSITY AND PROTECTION
36–––––37
Fisheries – using natural
resources responsibly
FISHERIES - RESPONSIBLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
40,000
people
are employed in fisheries and the
fish-processing industry
Approximately
3,300
The
per-capita
consumption of fish in
Germany is around
aquaculture farms in
Germany produce around
26,900 tonnes of fish,
shellfish and other
aquaculture products.
14.1 kg
38–––––39
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
It is only through sustainable fisheries
- both at sea and in inland water
bodies - that fish will be able to
continue to be used in the long term as
a high-quality food source for
mankind and a livelihood for fishers
and the biodiversity of fisheries
safeguarded for coming generations.
We must restrict the use of fish to a
level that enables them to regenerate,
not least because it is only by
safeguarding fish stocks and ensuring
they have sufficient young fish that
they will provide a long-term
foundation for added value and jobs.
Climate change and the resultant
changes to ecosystems in rivers, lakes
and oceans are resulting in new and
growing tasks regarding the
management of fisheries and marine,
environmental and species protection.
Perspective
Fish and fishery products are a valuable part of our diet.
Fishing in all stocks should, in line with the resolutions
of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg in 2002, be based on the principle of the
maximum sustainable yield. The aim is for a significant
percentage of the fish consumed in Germany to
originate from sustainable sea fisheries and aquaculture.
Our tasks
→ We aim to conserve healthy fish stocks as a basis for
livelihoods in inland, sea, coastal and cutter
fisheries. This also applies as part of our
responsibility to European and global marine
resources.
→ The progress achieved in the Common Fisheries
Policy will be safeguarded and continuously and
consistently developed in a practice-orientated
manner. This includes the sustainable management
of all stocks, the cross-species multi-annual plans
and the ban on discards.
→ We aim to safeguard the sustainable economic
development of the fisheries sector, particular the
small and medium-sized fishing enterprises.
→ The use of the fish stocks as a source of animal
protein plays an important role in feeding the
growing world population. It is therefore necessary
to reach agreement on effective management of
fisheries in international fisheries policy, both in
respect of the EU and in international and regional
organisations, in particular by means of stepping up
the fight against illegal fisheries. With regard to
practical implementation, this means enhanced
controls, complete traceability of fishery products
from third countries and high penalties for
infringements. Developing countries must be
supported to a greater extent in controlling illegal
fisheries.
In co-operation with our European neighbours
and with the Laender, which are responsible for
inland fisheries, we must improve protection of
migrating species of fish, such as eel, salmon and
sturgeon, through research projects and
restocking measures.
→ In order to provide the population with fish, a highquality food produced in an environmentally sound
manner, aquaculture will play an increasingly
important role in future. We therefore aim to
provide a reliable regulatory framework to facilitate
better growth opportunities for aquaculture.
FISHERIES – USING NATURAL RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY
40–––––41
Making our rural
areas attractive
and fit for the
future
MAKING OUR RURAL AREAS ATTRACTIVE AND FIT FOR THE FUTURE
Approximately
90%
of the territory
of
Germany is
rural.
16.9 billion EUR
of public funds for the period until 2020
are earmarked for support of rural
regions.
87%
of Germans consider investing in
infrastructure to be a particularly good way
of strengthening rural areas. 44 percent
consider strengthening voluntary work to
be a particularly good way.
47 million
Germans live in the countryside.
69%
85%
75%
of Germans value
rural areas for the
high quality of life
they offer.
associate the
subject of "rural
regions" with
recuperation and
leisure.
of Germans
associate the
concept of
"homeland" with a
rural region - and
this figure is still
as high as 50%
among people
living in cities.
42–––––43
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
Rural areas are the backbone of our
country; they must continue to be
developed. The rural regions are a
symbol of our homeland and play an
important role in our cultural identity
and our economic and social
development.
Many people, in times of increasing urbanisation,
associate life in rural regions with very positive qualities
such as idyllic nature, generous and reasonably priced
living space and a corresponding lifestyle. In and
around metropolises, in particular, rural areas are
regarded as a place of retreat. The vast majority of our
decentralised small and medium-sized enterprises are
located in rural areas. This is one of Germany's
particular strengths. Our rural regions also provide the
regional diversity of our food; agriculture is at the
centre of upstream and downstream value chains that
have created entire production clusters. These are
internationally competitive and serve the global
agricultural markets.
Rural areas are not the same everywhere; there are
instead a variety of different regions with their own
characters.
While the living circumstances and lifestyles of people
in rural areas and conurbations are becoming more
similar, due inter alia to mobility and media, regional
differences in industry, jobs, basic public services and
infrastructure are increasing. Along with prosperous
rural regions, there are also regions and areas that are
characterised by outward migration, aging populations,
a lack of jobs and a lack of basic public services. The
result: buildings standing empty and tight municipal
finances. These disparities endanger social cohesion.
Sizeable sections of the populations in these rural
regions feel ignored by policy makers. We must prevent
prospering rural regions from drifting further apart
from struggling rural regions; all regions must be
provided with positive prospects for development.
The people in rural areas expect comprehensive local
basic services and a lively voluntary sector and club
structure. Currently, the enormous influx of
immigrants is also placing additional demands on
people in rural regions.
Perspective
The aim is for our rural areas to become "workshops for
the future" that help develop our society. The rural areas
should be given a positive future perspective by
generating more scope for innovation and creativity.
The support instruments should be geared more closely
to demographic change and support weaker economic
areas. The intention is to improve medical care, optimise
mobility structure and lay the foundation for positive
economic prospects in our rural regions. We therefore
aim to ensure adequate general services for people who
live there.
Our tasks
→ The creation of equal living conditions throughout
Germany is enshrined in the German Basic Law and
forms the guidelines for our political commitment
in rural areas.
→ We intend to start a concerted campaign for rural
Germany. The Federal Ministry of Food and
Agriculture, as the ministry for rural areas, will
assume responsibility for the comprehensive
coordination at federal level and bring actors and
ideas together.
→ We aim to strengthen the local economy in
structurally weak regions by providing an
adequate infrastructure and strengthening support
for the relocation and expansion of companies.
Economic support must not focus on conurbations
and prosperous regions alone.
→ We intend to expand the "Joint Task for the
Improvement of Agricultural Structures and Coastal
Protection", make it more flexible and provide with
more funds for the range of tasks relating to the
promotion of rural development and demography; if
necessary, we aim to have the Basic Law amended to
this end. We intend to support small businesses and
service providers, as trade and SMEs are anchors of
economic stability in rural areas.
MAKING OUR RURAL AREAS ATTRACTIVE AND FIT FOR THE FUTURE
→ To develop rural areas, we need tailored support for
demographic development, preventive medicine
and medical care. The impact potential varies and
remains predominantly a task of the Laender and
local authorities. The Federal Government must
engage to a greater extent in promoting equal living
conditions in Germany and must draw up
corresponding concepts. These may include tax
incentives in rural and needy areas.
→ Europe will only be fit for the future if it has
strong regions. We intend to ensure that
Germany will continue to be able to profit from
the EU structural programmes. We are
supporting targeted efforts to reduce red tape in
this regard.
→ There is no longer an East-West gap in Germany;
instead, there is an urban-rural gap. This gap must
be closed.
→ We are continuing the Federal Programme for Rural
Development, which we have extended in recent
years, until 2025, in order to provide long-term
prospects for development in rural areas.
→ Digitisation represents a particular opportunity for
rural areas. We should also learn from models in
other countries. Improved broad-band availability
creates a basis to give people greater flexibility
regarding their place of work. This will create and
safeguard jobs across the country.
→ In rural regions, agriculture and food-related
artisanal trade can become a driver of innovation.
The agricultural and food industries constitute an
increasingly attractive possibility for commercial
initiative. We aim to provide greater support in this
area, and in particular for start-up entrepreneurs. In
this way we aim to keep young people in rural
areas.
→ We aim to develop agricultural structures in a
manner that puts family farms at the centre. In this
way we will be able to use the advantages of
regionally anchored production and employment,
and of regional value and processing chains.
→ Voluntary work is the heart and soul of rural areas.
Strengthening voluntary work strengthens the
countryside. We intend to develop a programme of
measures to actively support voluntary work. The
programme is intended to support exemplary
societal initiatives in rural areas that are launched by
voluntary workers. We aim to enhance the
appreciation of all those who aim to shape their own
future.
44–––––45
Shouldering
international
responsibility ensuring global food
security
SHOULDERING RESPONSIBILITY INTERNATIONALLY - ENSURING GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
Almost every third person
worldwide is malnourished.
While around 1.9 billion people are overweight, there are at the same
time almost 800 million people suffering from hunger and around 2
billion people who lack essential vitamins and micronutrients.
0 Euros
constitutes the total export
refunds received for German
agricultural exports since 2013.
< 1%
Approximately
1/4
of the German agricultural
sector's sales revenue
is attained indirectly from the
export of agri-food products
is the percentage of German
agricultural
exports to the least developed
countries.
46–––––47
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Challenges
On 25 September 2015, more than
150 heads of state and government
adopted Agenda 2030 for Sustainable
Development at the UN Sustainable
Development Summit in New York.
The Agenda formulates 17
Sustainable Development Goals which
the UN international community has
undertaken to implement worldwide
by 2030.
The second goal focuses explicitly on global food and
nutrition issues and on sustainable agriculture. The
goal is to completely eliminate global hunger within
the next 15 years, to enable each and every person to
have a healthy and balanced diet and to make
agriculture sustainable worldwide.
Germany must continue to shoulder responsibility for
ensuring that the global food situation is improved. We
must continue to enhance our commitment to fighting
hunger and malnutrition.
Perspective
The aim is for modern agriculture to be the key sector
for improving the global food situation by 2030.
Another goal is for the global community to have
adopted binding standards and guidelines under
international law, enshrining food security as a
priority goal worldwide.
As a country that has superb scientific agricultural
knowhow, Germany should contribute internationally
to ensuring healthy diets, establishing functioning
agriculture and consequently eliminating one of the
main reasons for wars and conflicts.
Our tasks
→ In order to still be able to feed people worldwide in
2050, production and productivity in the agri-food
industry must be increased, and increased in a
sustainable manner. The aim must be to strengthen
the role of family farming and in particular the
work of women. The goal is to support the
establishment and expansion of efficient and
sustainable value chains from primary production
to final consumers.
→ Support for sustainable agriculture and the
sustainable use of scarce natural resources are the
key to food security. To this end we support the
research and application of innovation and
technologies for farmers and local populations. To
implement these approaches, the FAO is, as the
United Nations' specialist organisation for food and
agriculture, a strategically important partner. We
intend to reinforce our support for the FAO's work
by providing more funds to improve the financing
of projects, for example innovative pilot projects on
improving local nutrition.
→ The consequential problems of hunger and
malnutrition will only be able to be solved by holistic
approaches. These include a balanced diet and safe
foods as well as better networking of agriculture,
food and health. We are consequently taking action
to support uniform, internationally accepted
standards that protect the health of people, animals
and plants.
SHOULDERING RESPONSIBILITY INTERNATIONALLY - ENSURING GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
→ We need responsible governance of tenure of land
in order to give farmers the prospect of certainty
regarding ownership and possession.
→ We are supporting other countries in establishing
productive and resource-conserving agricultural
sectors and better exploiting their potential. This
ensures that people can be supplied with regionally
produced food, promotes the creation of jobs and
income, and reduces the dependence on
international support.
→ We aim, in respect of the Federal Agriculture
Ministry's bilateral cooperation programme on
strengthening the agricultural sector worldwide, to
align this programme more closely to regional
focuses in order to help strengthen rural regions. We
intend to support basic and advanced training in
agriculture in numerous developing countries and
emerging economies and be active in the area of
knowhow transfer, demand-orientated policy
support, business cooperation and cooperation
between associations.
→ An import and export strategy geared towards
sustainability that strengthens direct economic
contacts with developing countries and emerging
economies constitutes a win-win situation for all
those involved because this generates added value in
the importing countries as well. Our agricultural
export strategy is focused on having societies with
purchasing power within and outside the European
Union. This prevents disturbances on vulnerable
markets in developing countries. We intend to use
voluntary international standards and certification
to create incentives for sustainable agricultural
production, similarly to the German Initiative on
Sustainable Cocoa and the Forum for Sustainable
Palm Oil.
→ International trade promotes food security if it takes
into account the needs of the developing countries
and emerging economies. We are therefore taking
action to support open, rule-based trade that
addresses the interests of these countries and
economies. We also taking action at European and
international level to support the dismantling of
agricultural export refunds and trade-distorting
subsidies.
→ In future, an export report will be presented
annually on quantitative and qualitative trends in
development. The report will focus in particular on
developmental policy, development strategies and
the expectations of industry.
→ We must create international incentives to
reinforce the planting of GMO-free crops
important to agricultural trade and in this way
support our call for GMO-free production.
→ International trade agreements, for example CETA,
help us and our partners to organise fair global trade.
They help generate added value and our high quality
and safety standards are protected. We must
continue along this path.
48–––––49
GREEN PAPER ON FOOD, NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS
Perspective for 2030
The aim of responsible policy is to recognise challenges,
draw up solutions and develop viable and sustainable
prospects. The "Green Paper on Food, Nutrition, Agriculture
and Rural Areas" takes on this responsibility. It defines a
framework that constitutes both the path and the goal.
A modern, future-orientated food and nutrition policy will encourage people to
adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle. The aim is for food-related illnesses to have been
greatly reduced by 2030. People should be supported in adopting healthy lifestyles
via education, information and motivation.
To optimise food safety and ensure transparency, we intend to better network the
responsible public and private agencies across all borders by 2030. They should be able
to react successfully to constantly changing goods flows and to technical innovations
in the digital age. By this time, the goal is also for the appreciation of food to have been
significantly increased and food waste in Germany halved to protect valuable
resources.
The intention is to continue to have an efficient and competitive German agri-food
sector in 2030. We aim to use a joint dialogue to find answers to the questions being
asked by civil society today and to draw up guiding principles. The sector should be
securely established at the centre of society. The goal is to have an agricultural sector
that takes on responsibility for animals and the environment and at the same time
seizes its economic opportunities. Germany should be a global forerunner on animal
welfare. We aim for the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors to be distinguished
by combining sustainable management, high productivity and the ecological
protection of resources. We intend to be able to benefit from the results of a diverse
and strong research landscape that is an effective driver of innovation in all fields.
By this time, modern agriculture should also be the key factor in securing global food
supplies, should be successful in the fight against hunger and malnutrition and
consequently should assist in peace-keeping worldwide.
By 2030, the aim is for rural regions to be instrumental in providing a sense of identity
and homeland. They should boost a new community spirit that is inclusive and
focuses on a sense of togetherness.
The goal is for rural areas to provide impetus and ideas for the development of our
society.
50
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Forsa/BMEL 2015
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Universität Stuttgart-Hohenheim/BMEL 2012
BMEL Agrarstrukturerhebung 2013, die alle drei Jahre erhoben
wird Bitkom-Studie 2016
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BMEL: Landwirtschaft verstehen 2016
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Arbeiten in ländlichen Regionen 2015
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Räume in Deutschland 2015
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2015. BMEL-Statistik
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PUBLISHER
Federal Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (BMEL)
Division L3 - Strategic Communication,
Public Relations, Protocol Affairs
Division L5 - Strategic and Political
Planning
D-11055 Berlin
AS OF
December 2016
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